Sigma
by Eve Woods
Summary: Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start? WARNING: contains light BL
1. Chapter 1

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

"Hey guys!" Aki and Natsume walked over to the soccer field and gasped before running down. Raimon was scattered across the field, covered in dirt and sweat. Several of them clutched their legs or head in pain. Endou and Kazemaru were leaning on each other, using the extra help to stay standing. Hiroto was slinging Midorikawa's arm over his shoulder and getting the injured boy to stand.

"What happened?" Aki asked worriedly as she helped Tsunami sit up. He pointed weakly over to the other side of the field.

"T-team Sigma." He gritted his teeth in pain as he spoke, and pointed weakly across the field.

The girls looked up and gasped again. A team of dark shadows was standing in a line, their bodies covered by long teal cloaks with their hoods up to conceal their identities. One of the shadows stepped forward and undid the knot keeping their cloak together, and it ruffled slightly in the wind before flying off as if by magic, spreading around the player midair like a halo before fluttering to the ground in the same fashion.

He had long, wavy purple hair tied up in a pony tail, and dark skin. His soccer uniform was skin-tight, with two bright green orbs on his biceps. He looked around them carelessly before raising a hand. In a flash of light, his team was gone, letting him stay solo. He glanced over the team before walking over to Endou and holding out a hand. Endou, startled and weary, took it. They shook hands easily.

"I am Asetawa Tome, captain of Sigma." He said. "We regret the damage we have done to your facility. There will be a donation sent to the soccer department of Raimon that will handle the costs of reparations." He nodded towards the players laying broken on the ground. "As well as a medical crew fit for the gods." He looked up at the sun with a slight grin. "Speaking of which, I have somewhere to be." He waved. "Maybe next time we meet we'll be the ones licking our wounds." A flash of red light, and he disappeared. Seconds later, two more flashes of light filled the air, and Midorikawa and Hiroto disappeared as well.

"Where did they go?!" Megane exclaimed.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted them!" Someoka growled fiercely, and Fubuki put a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him down once they were standing.

"They were under the control of the Aliea Meteorite when they acted that way," Goenji reputed. "They aren't the same people they were in Aliea Gakuen. I don't think they had anything to do with this." He frowned and walked over to Kidou to talk quietly. "What did you make of Asetawa?"

"Unlike Aliea Gakuen, he gave us a human name. It's only his clothing that appears alien in any way. He is developing a sense of superiority over us; he sees no problem in giving us his identity because he doesn't believe knowing who he is will change anything." Kidou crossed his arms as Haruna ran over and helped him stand, noticing when the others didn't how her brother wobbled unsteadily.

"What should we do?" She asked him, sounding worried. Goenji gritted his teeth angrily. Hitomiko walked onto the field and over to Kidou, handing him a cell phone. He nodded to her, and she gave him a focused stare before turning to the rest of the team and motioning them to gather. Kidou, helped by Goenji and Haruna, moved away from the group to the benches, flipping open the phone and scrolling through the contacts.

"Are you sure he'll answer?" Goenji asked once he saw the name they were calling.

"We can only hope." Kidou replied stiffly, turning up the volume so all three of them could hear it.

_"You've reached the mail box of Afuro Terumi. Please leave a message after the beep."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

"Did you get ahold of him?" They looked up; Hitomiko stood in front of them with her arms crossed, Kazemaru and Someoka standing on either side of her. Goenji looked to Someoka in surprise, wondering why he was standing there.

"Fubuki's gone." Came the reply to the silent question. Kidou frowned before turning to Kazemaru.

"Do you have Fidio's number?" He asked quietly, trying to keep the urgency from his voice. The bluenette nodded and passed his phone over; Kidou gave the first cell phone back to Hitomiko and began dialing on the second.

_"Hey, this is Fideo Aldena. Leave me a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can." _Kidou's frown deepened. He shut the phone and passed it back to Kazemaru.

"What does it mean?" Haruna asked worriedly, tilting her head as she heard the distant ring of sirens.

"It means-" Kidou stopped in the middle of his sentence as a flash of light filled the air. Where Hitomiko had been, empty space was left. His expression darkened. "Kazemaru, get everyone inside the club room. We're having an emergency meeting. Mark all absences." With that, he stormed off, ignorant of his wounds. Haruna quickly followed him.

Kazemaru stared at the retreating figure in shock. _I've never seen Kidou so angry before._

"You heard him." Goenji said, pushing himself off of the bench with a wince. "Lets get everyone into the club room."

* * *

"Brother, what's happening?!" Haruna cried, clutching onto the soft blue cape as she struggled to keep up. Kidou walked quickly, straight into the school.

"I can't be certain until I see the records..." Kidou replied quietly, turning a corner and finding himself face to face with the principle's office. He double checked the hall to make sure there were no bystanders before fishing out a small wire and picking the lock. The door swung open into a room cloaked in darkness. The giant windows on the back wall let in no light-a storm had gathered above the school. Dark, angry clouds covered the sky as rain began to fall, leaving the empty room with a creepy aura.

Kidou wasted no time. He strode over to the desk barely visible in the light and opened one of the file drawers, flipping through until he found the right letter. "Haruna." He motioned her over, and she stepped forward to peer inside the drawer. "What do you see?"

"I see files." Haruna said, leaning closer to get a better look. "For the letter M. Why? Is there something you're-" She stopped talking. Saving another confused glance at her brother, she began sifting through the files herself. Each one was distinctly labeled with a name on the top in Last, First order, followed by age and blood type for every student in the school. "I can't find Midorikawa's file. It's missing."

"Just as he is in real life." Kidou said.

"...What are you thinking?" Haruna asked.

"That someone wants Raimon isolated." He replied. "I'll bet every team or soccer player we've befriended from the first day we heard of Aliea is missing."

"Are you sure they're missing?" Haruna asked, and Kidou turned to her. She had out her mini-laptop, typing in it with one hand and holding it with the other. She showed him the screen, which displayed a picture of Midorikawa, who was dressed like he was in Aliea.

_It's like we never even played them... _Kidou realized. "What about-" He didn't even finish his question before Haruna showed him the new page, full of Zeus High and their terrifying and powerful Aphrodi. They clicked on one of the websites the pictures were tagged in and Haruna read aloud.

"Thanks to their defeat of nearly every Middle School in the country, including several High Schools from America and France, they now dominate Japanese Soccer. Only the teams from Aliea Academy are able to match their fearful power of the gods, and their matches strike true terror in the hearts of those who watch." She frowned, remembering when she'd been feeling down once about their setback with Aliea, and how Aphrodi had comforted her. He'd told her about past experiences in Zeus, and the painful after affects of the Aqua of the Gods. She wondered if they were still using the drug, then. "Does this mean they don't remember playing Raimon?"

"That's..." Kidou paused. Haruna was right. From what they were seeing right now...it was highly probable that somehow memories of the battle _were_ erased. "We need to call Team Unicorn. Now." If anyone would be able to remember, it would be Ichinose. Out of everyone they'd met along their journeys, they'd been with him the longest. He was the only one who had any chance of remembering, or at least at shedding light on how any of this was happening. If anyone could help them now, it was Ichinose.

Kidou watched Haruna search through her phone for the number. _This is our only chance to figure out what's going on from where we are right now. Ichinose...for everyone's sake, remember us._


	3. Chapter 3

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

"I understand." Kidou said. "Thank you for your time." He hung up and turned to Haruna, face grim. "Let's go to the club room."

* * *

"But...how?" Handa asked in shock. Kidou had explained to Raimon his take on what was happening.

"That's what we need to find out." Came the reply.

"What do you think we should do, Endou?" Kazemaru asked the Captain gently, and the rest of the team turned, intrigued to hear his answer. Endou was looking sadly down at his gloves, worry and pain written on his faces.

"I..." He began, lips twitching downward slightly in sadness. "I wanted to use _our _soccer to help everyone...but now they can't remember it..." He absentmindedly picked up a soccer ball. It was covered in mud, and he wiped a bit of it away with his glove. "It's like we never played them at all...like we never became friends." The rest of the team remained silent, shocked by their Captain's words. Kazemaru, wide-eyed, put a hesitant hand on Endou's shoulder in comfort. "But..." Endou began fiercely, "That means that we can re-experience those friendships. Through new bonds, we can get back their memories! We can do it!" He looked up determinedly. "With _our_ soccer! Bonds with friends can't be broken that easily!"

Goenji smiled fondly at the boy as he nodded to himself. Kidou, while his expression didn't change, walked over to the shorter boy with a serious face.

"It's your move, Endou." He said. Endou nodded, serious as well. "What do you think we should do?" Kidou knew it was a risk, asking Endou to choose. But it was Endou who had woken him up from his nightmare when they'd first met-he believed the Goalkeeper would be able to do it again, without a doubt. No one had heart like Enodu.

"Let's visit Aliea Academy." He said, sounding sure of himself. _He wants Hiroto to remember him, and to remember what happened. _Kidou realized.

"What about transportation?" Someoka asked stiffly. Ever since Fubuki had disappeared, he'd been on edge.

As if on cue, a screeching noise filled the air. Kazemaru, the fastest of the soccer players and first out the door, gaped at the bus that had pulled up. It was the same one they'd used when fighting Aliea Academy. The bus driver gave them a thumbs up, and Endou grinned.

"C'mon, lets go!" He grinned.

* * *

_Zeus High_

Aphrodi fell to his knees in pain, glad his room separated him from his teammates. He looked up at Hera, the only other person in the room, who suffered alongside him. They were both struggling from the aftereffects of Aqua of the Gods. Since they were the building blocks of the team, it was up to them to be the strongest. Not only by drinking Aqua more than the other members, but by training harder, always staying one step ahead of everyone-sometimes, even themselves.

"I...don't know how much longer I can do this." Hera admitted quietly. Aphrodi looked up at him, eyes wide.

They both knew something was wrong with this. They couldn't remember anything past challenging...a school for a soccer game. None of the other players seemed to think anything was wrong with that; they knew otherwise. Something was wrong with Kageyama, even though no one could quite put their fingers on it.

"Captain?" Aphrodi winced as Atena knocked on the door. Hera struggled to his feet before holding out his hand. Aphrodi gritted his teeth in pain but ignored it; it was his right as captain to walk alone, whether that be a blessing or a curse. "Can I come in?"

"Yes." Came the stiff reply. Atena walked in to see Hera and Aphrodi sitting on the bed, probably talking (or maybe more), looking like they didn't have a care in the world. Atena pulled out his laptop and showed the page to his Captain. "I thought you might want to see this."

Aphrodi leaned forward to see the page, frowning slightly as his muscles screeched in protest. "What is this? I've never heard of Aliea Academy before." He reached out a slightly trembling hand clicked to the next page. "Gazelle? Burn? Are those real names?" _Should **I **really be criticizing names?_ He wondered to himself. Atena shrugged.

"Just thought you might want to know." He replied nonchalantly. Hera sighed.

"Good work. If you find any more sites like that, message me the links. You may leave." He ordered, while Aphrodi leaned back serenely and let the light hit his face. He _looked_ godly, that was for sure. The door shut quietly as Atena exited the room, and Hera took a minute to watch the light illuminate Aphrodi's features. A near nonexistent smile flickered across his face and a warm feeling spread through his body.

"I don't think that was intended for us to see." Hera said to his Captain. Aphrodi nodded.

"We probably weren't supposed to." He replied tiredly.

"No." Came a low voice from the second doorway. The pair whipped around, seeing nothing. "You weren't."

"Wha-" Aphrodi tried to escape when he felt a cloth press against his mouth, but Aqua of the Gods had left him deprived of energy. He felt himself grow limp as he slipped into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

It was raining, hard. Raimon struggled through the heavy wind and rain to get to the foot of Mount Fuji, the bus occasionally rocking back and forth due to the strong weather. When they finally came to a stop, it wasn't because they had arrived-it was because they were stuck in the mud. Literally.

"We'll have to walk from here." Kidou said when they'd all exited the bus, watching with a little exasperation as the bus driver attempted to get the bus moving again. He turned slightly to the left and sighed in relief. _The Academy is only a few minutes away._ He glanced over to Endou, who was still trembling from exhaustion, before looking around what was left of their team. _Losing our friends lost us our spirit. Ichinose, Domon, Rika, Kogure, Tsunami, Tachimukai...I don't even want to think about how many people we might not get back. __  
_

"Brother." Haruna was standing in front of him. Aki stood off to the side. "What will happen when we see them?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Kidou replied quietly. He looked up at the remnants of Raimon as they struggled onward. The mud clung to their legs and the rain quickly soaked through their clothing. Kazemaru, who had nearly collapsed from fatigue, was being half-carried, half-dragged by Goenji and Someoka, whose legs were trembling under the added pressure. "We've lost over half our team." It was true. The others, including Kazemaru, were still struggling with the aftereffects of what was left of the Aliea Meteorite; it had been their first day back. Most had been readmitted to the Hospital. "If it came down to it, we would not win a game against Aliea." They walked up to the UFO-eque structure and entered in the code. The doors slid open and they walked in, looking around. _With our luck, we'll collapse from exhaustion before we find them.__  
_

He looked up in surprise, however, when a familiar group of voices filled the air.

"What did I tell you about using my alien name!" They heard. The sound echoed in the wide-scoped room and several of Raimon looked up in hope.

"Like he'll listen. He's such a baby." Another person said in a teasing voice.

"S-shut up!" Defended another, along with a growled "Watch it." from a forth voice.

"Don't listen to him. He's an idiot." Came another voice, this one colder.

The door opened, and the group looked down on Raimon in surprise, before their eyes darkened.

"I see we have visitors." Hiroto said with a smirk from his place between Midorikawa and Burn. "Let's put them in their place."

* * *

_Abruzzo, Italy_

Fidio laid on his back with his eyes closed, sunlight dancing over his skin, wind ruffling his clothing and keeping him from getting too hot. He felt like something was missing from his memories...something important. He couldn't get a grasp on how much time had passed since his team had been invited to the Football Frontier International. He'd escaped to the countryside by train, determined to clear his mind. However, it hadn't done anything. All he could get was a fuzzy vision of a blue-haired goalkeeper, and it made his heart ache.

"I see you're in confusion too." Fidio opened his eyes at the slightly familiar voice. He'd heard it before, somewhere... In front of him stood a short blonde boy with a skinny figure and long, flawless hair. His eye were unnaturally darkened, however, in a way that made Fidio weary.

"Friend?" He asked.

"Friend." Aphrodi confirmed. "They say birds of a feather flock together-I understand you've lost your memories-"

"-That's what that was?!" Fidio exclaimed. Aphrodi put a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Yes. I've experienced it as well. However, I was able to return mine and see the truth."

"The...truth?" Fidio asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Aphrodi's already dark eyes now turned almost black as he grimaced. "A team called Raimon erased our memories." He said.

"Rai...mon?" Fidio murmured, blue eyes wide as he watched Aphrodi, who nodded.

"Raimon erased our memories of the moment we joined Team Iota, the underling of Team Sigma, who is determined to bring illumination to the world through soccer. Together, we played real soccer, _true _soccer." He raised his hands to the sky. "We delivered the truth, and were rewarded with godly strength."

"What about Raimon?" Fidio asked.

"Raimon...had lost their way." Aphrodi said. "I have not fully recovered my memories, so I haven't remembered playing them yet. But from what I have been told, and from the proof given to me...they were determined to stop us. They fought the truth and refused to let others listen to it either." His arm slid from Fidio's shoulder to his waist, turning to face the Italian boy and pressing their foreheads together. "We must help them. I believe we can do it, if we work together." He watched the other boy earnestly, and his expression was so warm and trusting and _close, _Fidio felt himself blush as he realized he had also wrapped his arms around the shorter boy in reflex.

"I..." He hesitated, and felt impatience flare up in Aphrodi's face. It was almost...cute.

No. Something about it all felt...off. Another vision flashed in his head, and Fidio heard Aphrodi shout in surprise as they fell over, rolling with Aphrodi trapped under him.

_"Hey, Fidio!" The blue-haired boy ran over to the Captain with a bright grin. "Let's play one-on-one!"_

Fidio felt his head press against the crook of Aphrodi's shoulder as he tensed in pain.

_"I'm saying I love you! I love you more than anything in the world! Will...will you be mine, Fidio?"_

More pain, but this time different. It lingered like a burn in his chest. He felt Aphrodi hold him tightly, letting his hand run through Fidio's brown hair soothingly and whispering comforting words, and it was only then that he realized he was crying.

"It's okay." Aphrodi whispered. "Everything's going to be okay."


	5. Chapter 5

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

"W-wait! Hiroto! Don't you remember us?!" Endou exclaimed. Hiroto raised an eyebrow in surprise before holding out his arm to stop Burn from stepping forward. He walked over to the goalkeeper and sized him up, interest clear across his face.

"You know my name?" He asked after a minute.

"We know all of your names." Goenji said, stepping forward, looking over his old comrades. They were in their alien soccer uniforms, and each was responding in a different way. Hiroto keep his cool, the opposite of Burn, who had to be restrained by Gazelle. Desarm was standing protectively in front of Midorikawa, who fidgeted slightly but was otherwise cold and stoic.

"Oh? How brash." Hiroto laughed slightly. "And may I ask how you know our _other_ names?" He stepped back from Endou to cross his arms and lean slightly to the side. "Do we know each other?"

"Hiroto-" Endou began, voice filled with pain and hurt, when Kidou interrupted.

"Have you seen Kira Seijirou in the past 48 hours?" He asked in a calculative voice. "We are scheduled to meet with him." _If we use an excuse like this, they won't feel inclined to fight us.__  
_

"That will be impossible." Gazelle cut in, letting go of Burn, who still looked ready to run forward and punch someone. "We have not seen him in over six months. If you want a meeting with him, you'll have to find him first."

"Gazelle..." Kidou perked slightly. "Burn. Gazelle. Do you remember Aphrodi?"

"The God kid?" Burn asked loudly, putting his hands on his hips and snorting. "Yeah. Why?"

"Do you remember Fire Dragon?" Kidou persisted. Gazelle shook his head, looking like he was getting annoyed. "Anything from the past year-"

"How did you know our memories are missing?" The white-haired boy hissed, eyes narrowing. Kidou turned to him grimly, but it was Kazemaru who spoke.

"Hiroto and Midorikawa are a part of Raimon-or, had been, since the destruction of the Aliea Meteorite. You and Burn were scouted by Aphrodi and played on the team Fire Dragon. However, we were attacked by people who called themselves Team Sigma." He gestured to his friends, covered in mud and rain and bandages. "They did this and disappeared. Midorikawa and Hiroto disappeared with them, along with our coach."

"We believe the memories of every person we have come into contact with who was not part of Raimon before we first challenged Aliea Academy onward have been erased." Kidou explained.

"In other words, Sigma's trying to isolate you." Hiroto concluded, before turning to his friends. "Midorikawa? What do you think?"

"I..." Midorikawa looked over the team. "I don't remember them at all." He made eye contact with Kazemaru, whose eyes were pleading him to help. "But if what they're saying is true, then helping them might help us regain our memories."_  
_

"Then it's settled." Hiroto said, before sighing. "C'mon. Let's get you guys patched up."

* * *

"You...were talking about the God kid?"

Kazemaru looked up. They were all getting treated in separate rooms; in this one, he was getting treated by Burn, who avoided his curious gaze.

"You mean Aphrodi?" Kazemaru asked kindly, and Burn blushed. "He's your teammate. Both yours and Gazelle's, actually."

"Are you sure you know what you're talking about?" The redhead asked, and Kazemaru felt taken aback at the suddenly soft and nervous atmosphere the boy exuded. "He...I saw him, before a game. He didn't notice I was in the washroom..." His eyes darkened slightly in pain. "He was in so much pain he couldn't stand. He had to support himself using the sink. Forced himself to drink some sort of drug..."

"Aqua of the Gods." Kazemaru clarified, and Burn nodded.

"But if you played him before you played us, why can't he remember you?"

Kazemaru paused. _Why can't he remember us? Is the problem bigger than we first expected...? _He clenched his fist, and Burn scowled at his silence. _Then again, Ichinose knew us long before Aliea, and he doesn't know who we are either. I need to talk to Kidou about this. _He began to stand, surprised when Burn growled and pushed him back onto the chair.

"Don't even think about it." He snorted, before jamming a cotton swab dripping with rubbing alcohol against a particularly deep scrape. The bluenette twitched in pain. "I still have more questions."

* * *

_Abruzzo, Italy_

Aphrodi looked up at the clear night sky. Fidio was still lying on top of him, asleep, now, having been exhausted by crying. He felt like something was wrong with Sigma, but he couldn't put his finger on what-they'd helped him, healed him, saved him from the aftereffects of the Aqua of the Gods. They'd even given both him and Hera a place in their second best team, Iota. Normally, he wouldn't have settled for less than first, but under the circumstances he was still weary.

He absentmindedly ran his fingers through Fidio's hair, the latter of which tightened his grip around the blond's waist and sighed peacefully. It was nice, Aphrodi noted, to be needed. To be necessary to the team like he was felt a lot different than feeling wanted and needed by someone.

_"What we're trying to say is...thanks. If it weren't for you, we would have never gotten together."_

Aphrodi winced at the voice, icy somehow, yet gentle and soft. It made both his head and his heart hurt.

_"Now we get to return the favor." _He began tugging a bit on Fidio's hair in aggravation. He couldn't figure out why he was getting annoyed at the sound of the arrogant voice, but he was.

_"You two _**_are_**_ getting awfully close, aren't you? Maybe we could go on a double date." _That irritating, fiery voice fill his mind again. Aphrodi, out of reflex from his temper, sharply tugged at Fidio's hair. The brunette gave a sleepy whimper of pain and shifted to nuzzle his face into Aphrodi's side. To keep the boy from waking up, the blond returned to coming his fingers through the soft locks and began to whisper soothing words in the same manner he'd used to calm the Italian down.

"It's all going to turn out alright." He murmured. "Shh. It's all going to be alright..."

If only he could believe it himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

"Who did you say did this again?" Hiroto asked as he helped Kidou stand back up.

"Team Sigma." The other boy replied, before watching as Hiroto blushed and looked away for a minute.

"What?" Kidou asked, crossing his arms out of habit and wincing when it strained some of the bandages.

"Did..." Hiroto paused, forcing his face back to it's regular color. "When we were on the team, were Midorikawa and I..." He gestured his hands a little, and Kidou fought back a smirk.

"Were you what?" He inquired, and Hiroto blanched. Sighing in satisfaction, he nodded. "Neither you nor Midorikawa had confirmed it, but it was obvious you were."

"Oh..." The other boy seemed to brighten a little. "Cool. Thanks." He opened the door. "The others are this way." He said, and led Kidou down the hallway while they chatted. "Gazelle and Burn seem like they're beginning to remember things. Should the effects of being with you all work that quickly?"

"We're not sure." Kidou replied. "The process might be sped up if they found Aphrodi or another member of Fire Dragon."

"Yeah?" Hiroto asked curiously. "So then Aphrodi was the captain of Fire Dragon? I thought he was part of Zeus."

"He was," Kidou confirmed. "In the FFI, he became a midfielder for Fire Dragon."

"Oh." Hiroto noted. "So he's strong, then?"

"Yes." Kidou replied, and immediately a picture of Aphrodi's powerful, mystifying shots entered his mind. "One if, if not, the best." Hiroto looked shocked.

"The best? But you won against his team in FFI, right?"

Kidou stared at him for a minute. _He recalls us winning against them? He must remember more than he's telling me. _He ignored the hiccup in speech as best he could. "When we played Fire Dragon, Aphrodi had not fully recovered from his injury sustained while fighting Aliea Academy." He stated shortly, looking up as they arrived to large room. It had a modern-art statue in the middle of it, elevated by strings hanging from the ceiling.

"Isn't it cool?" Endou grinned and walked up to them, Kazemaru at his side. The bluenette had his elbow linked with Midorikawa, who was looking down at the ground nervously. Kidou frowned-he never remembered Midorikawa being so shy before. _I wonder how long he's been at the orphanage. _Perhaps his actions had something to do with his life before meeting the others._  
_

"It's nice." He relented, and Endou smiled. "Any word from Team Unicorn?" He'd asked Endou to call Mark and Dylan, asking if they wanted to meet in a few days for a practice match.

Endou's expression turned serious. "They said that they would consider it. Something was weird when I was talking to them-they sounded worried."

"It could be that they feel like their memories are missing." Kidou replied, looking to Hiroto for confirmation.

"Yeah...Still, I-"

"Don't worry, Endou." Kazemaru put a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder. "We'll call them again soon."

"What about Fubuki?" The group of five turned in surprise. Someoka was standing in front of them, fists clenched and looking angry. "What's so special about them-" He jerked his hand in the Aliea soccer players' direction, "-that makes them more important than Fubuki? Or Tsunami? Or Kogure?" Blinded by his anger, he gripped Midorikawa by the front of his shirt, fists trembling. "Why are we looking for the people who betrayed soccer _first_, when we should be looking for the people who helped us beat them in the first place?!"

"Oh shit." Burn whispered from nearby. He grimaced, only barely able to imagine what was about to go down. Out of all of the captains, Midorikawa was the youngest and purest. Everyone knew that when he had problems, he would run to Gazelle. When he cried or needed emotional support, he went to Hiroto (more like the other way around). But there was one person who always stayed on top...

Someoka didn't see the punch coming until he was on the ground, room spinning. Sitting up, he was barely able to make out the black-haired figure standing protectively in front of Midorikawa like a shield. _Desarm._

"Don't you _dare_ touch him!" The mother hen of the Captains yelled, voice dangerous.

"_Desarm!_" Hiroto's title of the Captain of Genesis broke through, forcing him to abandon his easygoing, playful attitude and adopt a harsher one. "You may leave, now."

Desarm stared at Someoka, eyes widening as he realized what he had just done, before he bowed respectively to his superior and quickly left the room, quiet steps down the hallways echoing.

"And you." Hiroto turned with a menacing aura and kneeled down next to Someoka, pulling him up by his shirt until they were only inches away from each others faces. "If I see you touch, look at, even _refer _to _any _of my inferiors in any way I don't like, _we. will. annihilate. you." _He looked up at the others. _"All _of you." He dropped Someoka and stood back up, facing Kidou and Endou, both of whom looked shocked. "It was a mistake to agree to let you in when we know so little of you." He said emotionlessly. "We will repair any damage done to your vehicle and dislodge it, and then I invite you personally to leave." His eyes narrowed. "Do not return unless for a match."

He stuck out his hand and kept it there until Endou shook it. Then he glared at Burn and Gazelle. Taking the hint, they pulled Midorikawa away from Raimon and left the room.

"You're going to judge us off of one experience?" Kazemaru asked in amazement.

"No. I am judging you off of the lack of them." Hiroto replied cooly. "I do not believe we would play on a team where we are seen as enemies." He gave Someoka a particularly harsh glare. "We have no faith in anything else you've been telling us. All you've done is made yourself a target." He walked to the edge of the hallway and paused. "You've made yourselves a powerful enemy."

With that, he left, leaving a stunned Raimon in his wake.

* * *

"Where are we?" Theta asked quietly, looking out at the gray-brick buildings through light violet eyes. His light brown hair barely passed his ears in a bob cut.

"You don't recognize this place?" Delta asked in surprise, watching as sunlight fell through the window and reflected off of his friend's creamy skin. "This is where you first found the Truth."

"Hm? Really?" Theta closed his eyes. "I still don't remember." The peaceful atmosphere the scenery exuded was beginning to lull him to sleep. "Where are we?" He asked again.

"America." Delta replied, rubbing a sun-kissed hand over his face. He undid his ponytail, allowing dark, rich blue hair to fall down to his shoulders in voluminous waves. As a long running joke, the other members of Sigma isolated them as the two girliest of the team. Now, looking at his reflection in the window, Delta could almost see why. _Still, it's annoying. _"Welcome to Ridgeback High School, home of the unicorns."


	7. Chapter 7

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

Theta rubbed a hand over his eyes tiredly, watching as the rest of the team divided. The majority of the girls were looking around the school curiously, fawning over the boys' uniforms and awing at the massive gray-brick buildings that formed Ridgeback High. Most of the walls of the buildings had been covered in thick green ivy, and while there was a road leading through the gates to get in, now there was only grass. Behind the school, you could see a vibrant forest, and hear the distant sound of running water.

Honestly, he didn't care about 'Ichinose Kazuya'; he could care less about Inazuma Eleven in general. He knew the Truth, but the connection between that and the japanese soccer team was dim-if existent at all. In his opinion, they should simply keep spreading the Truth until everyone was enlightened. After all, the Truth had saved his life. Theta was sure it would save the lives of others, too.

However, his superiors felt differently, enough so that they determined the fate of Inazuma Eleven to be destruction. Theta wasn't sure how he felt about this-the entire reason he'd _joined _Sigma was to help people like him. So he'd decided that he would go along with what the others were doing without actually participating, and then slip away when they destroyed Raimon. _After all, I'm not powerful enough to change the things around me without help... _He grimaced slightly and turned to look around the school. _Even this place holds dark secrets_. He grimaced and folded his arms, watching unimpressed as Kiyoko, one of their better defenders, approached a boy with a bright smile and gentle ambience and promptly smothered the information she wanted out of him. _Then again, so do we. _

"That was great!" He turned to look out of the corner of his eye. Down at the soccer field, two kids had begun to kick the soccer ball back and forth. They were decent-by average standards-but Theta was able to recognize improvement continually throughout their session. One was definitely better than the other, but kept his partner going with a positive attitude and motivational comments. _  
_

The boy on the receiving end of the compliment grinned, but flailed as his partner kicked the ball back faster than expected. The soccer ball rolled off of the field and came to a rest by Theta's feet.

"Sorry, miss! Would you mind throwing that back?" The second player, the one who had missed the pass, was blushing as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. It took less than a second for Theta to realize that he'd been called a girl, and a fraction of that time to move his leg back and pass back to them. The ball sailed impressively through the air before landing mere inches in front of the first player, who looked up through blue sports glasses in shock before grinning. Theta watched with an emotionless face as the first player grabbed his partner by the elbow and jogged over, eyes gleaming in excitement._  
_

_No. _Theta thought to himself. _I don't want to get involved with you._

"That was awesome!" The goggled boy exclaimed, pointing back to the soccer ball. Theta's eyes followed indifferently.

"It wasn't my best." He replied simply. The other boy looked shocked before grabbing onto his hand and leaning forward.

Theta, since learning the Truth, hadn't had physical contact with anyone. It was mostly due to the fact that the girls had known automatically that he was a boy and loved to dress him up and play with him, leading him to avoid them. Just as well, the boys, save Delta, _hadn't _known his gender, and would try to stay away from him simply to respect his privacy just in case. So it was simply his natural reaction to blush and look toward the ground, even though he inwardly reprimanded himself for doing so._  
_

"Will you play soccer with Team Unicorn?" The soccer player asked. "I'm Dylan, and Unicorn's the team I play on. Someone as good at soccer as you has to love it a lot right? So lets play together!" He looked into Theta's eyes earnestly, not letting go of his hand.

"I don't think I should." Theta replied weakly, face still aimed at the ground. _If I get too involved, I'll definitely be part of the blame for Raimon's destruction._

"Oh! Is it because you need a uniform? I'm sure I could ask one of the girls if they have an extra. We dorm here, so they'd be able to get one pretty quickly. What size are you, small? Or maybe-" He let go of Theta's hand as his partner punched him in the shoulder.

"Dylan!" The boy exclaimed. "You can't ask a girl her clothing size, it's rude!" Theta was getting more and more uncomfortable with the situation. It would be easier to simply not play, but he doubted 'Dylan' would let that happen.

"I have a uniform with me." He replied, slowly regaining his calm atmosphere.

"Oh? You go to school here? Why aren't you wearing your uniform?" Dylan asked, laughing loudly as his partner tried to protest his intrusive manners.

"I have come with my team from Japan. I have my own team's uniform with me." Theta said, trying to leave no end open to conversation.

Dylan wasn't catching the drift. He threw a cheerful arm around Theta's shoulders and began guiding him back to the soccer field. Briefly, the violet-eyed forward glanced back to see if his teammates were still wandering around the front gates, but they were gone, most likely in search of the cafeteria or attendance office.

It took a minute for Theta to realize that the quiet noise in the back of his mind was actually Dylan talking. "-okay?"

_What? _"Sure." Uncertain of how to reply, Theta answered quietly and watched with a blank expression as the un-introduced player jogged into one of the buildings, leaving him alone with Dylan, who had taken out his phone and begun flitting through the contacts. After a moment, he pressed a button and held it up to his ear.

_"Dylan! I'm in class right now! What do you need?" _The voice whispered harshly from over the phone, and Theta froze before snapping his attention to the mobile device. _No. I'm not going to get involved. _He thought determinedly. _I can't let Asetawa see me with him. _Because, while the phone's receiver was terrible and the fuzz barricading the voice's speech was thick, the voice itself was unmistakable.

It was the voice of Ichinose Kazuya.

* * *

"Wait!" Kidou whipped around to see Gazelle sprinting up the hill, where the Inazuma bus had been cleaned and parked. The rain soaked through the white-haired boy's shirt, and under one arm was a blue and black soccer ball. However, it was the green haired boy running alongside him that had spoken.

Kidou waited patiently for them to catch up to him. The rest of the team was already inside the bus drying themselves off, leaving him alone with the Aliea soccer players; he had plenty of time to hear them out. When they finally came to a stop, Gazelle took the soccer ball and held it out with one hand.

"Take it." He said quietly, but there was a demanding underbelly in his tone.

Kidou, unsure of what else to do, took it.

"It takes you wherever you want to go, just tap it with your foot and think of the place you want to be." Midorikawa explained, before his eyes fell to the ground. "I...I can relate to how Someoka's feeling, not being able to help the person you love is worse than Hiroto realizes." Kidou watched, feeling surprised that Midorikawa had been able to piece that much together with so little time to speak with Raimon. "I'm going to try and calm Hiroto down. He wasn't thinking clearly." The green-haired soccer player then smiled briefly and held up a hand in informality before turning back and running back to the Academy. Gazelle hesitated, watching Kidou through steely blue eyes.

"When you find Aphrodi, call me." He said eventually, holding out a slip of paper with a phone number printed on it. Kidou nodded in confirmation, and swore he could almost see Gazelle smile a little before the other boy turned and began walking back, letting the rain soak him completely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

_Northern Tuscany, Italy_

Aphrodi made his way through the market alone. After waking Fidio up and allowing the italian a proper amount of time to pack, they'd been picked up in a car with Sigma's symbol on the side, and while Fidio was sent back to HQ for rest and medical treatment for his memories Aphrodi was allowed to roam the Lunigiana Region in his spare time. There were many homes and hotels that he could get gratis by one simple phone call. _The power of the truth is mighty__, _Aphrodi thought to himself.

He looked across the market, sunlight warming his skin, and sighed in peace. The vendors were swarming with people of all ages and ethnicity, from Greek to Italian to Spanish, and it was culturally relaxing to be amidst all of it.

_"You were finally able to move on, Aphrodi. Congrats." _Aphrodi paused, straining to remember why Hera's voice sounded so sad in his memories. Bits and pieces of memories floated across his vision, and he stumbled over to a brick wall and leaned against it.

_"I'll miss you, you know. But you have new comrades who can look after you." _The sore attempt at humor made Aphrodi double over as a painful emotion washed over him. Hera only tried to joke when he was on his deathbed-and even then there were doubts that the brunette would be able to pull them off.

Shaking slightly, Aphrodi forced himself to stand properly. He turned and was about to walk away when his cell phone rang. He picked it up and flipped it open. "Hello?"

_"It's Asetawa. I have a mission for you."_

* * *

_Northern Tuscany, Italy_

Rococo looked up at the sky while his friends ran around the market. It was a beautiful summer day, but he couldn't enjoy it as long as he was looking for Fidio. _Where did you go? _he thought in pain, remembering the moment he realized he couldn't get ahold of Fidio-or anyone he'd met in FFI, for that matter. Not even Edgar answered his calls, and the man practically had his phone surgically attached to his hand. Once he'd come back from special training in Hawaii, everyone had disappeared.

He was about to turn and call out for one of his friends when he looked up and caught sight of a familiar head of blond hair. _Is that...? _He thought, before immediately sprinting in between civilians and vendors, determined to catch the boy he'd seen.

His eyes widened and his steps slowed as he reached the spot where the blond had once been standing.

"Aphrodi?" He asked in shock, staring at the place where the Zeus captain had once been. But there was no one there, just empty space. The God had disappeared into thin air.

* * *

"So, you're the one Dylan dragged here?" Ichinose asked curiously as he observed the violet-eyed trap. They were sitting on the grass waiting while said crazy blond corralled the rest of the team out of class and onto the field. Theta shrugged, and the golden-haired boy continued, "You must be good at soccer if you caught his attention."

"I'm not great at it." Theta deadpanned. Ichinose sat there quietly, never quite having mastered small talk, before realizing what Theta was getting at and turning beet red.

"H-he wasn't-" Ichinose blushed even harder, and Theta sighed and rested his hand on his palm in a bored manner. "He wasn't checking you out!"

_So this is what Asetawa meant when he said Ichinose was modest. _Theta mused, before shrugging and standing up. He wore his team's uniform, a black skin-tight attire modeled between the Dark Emperors and Aliea's uniforms. It had two gold orbs on the biceps. His black cloak was lying on the ground by the bench, a pin keeping it together at the neck. Ichinose had changed into the Unicorn's uniform as well, and he easily trapped a soccer ball as Dylan kicked it over to them.

"Hey!" The blond grinned as he jogged over, forcefully dragging the Captain with him. "This is Mark." He came to a halt in front of them, and Mark smiled calmly and held out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you." The captain said. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"Looking around." Theta replied bluntly. "How are the teams divided?"

"Actually, Dylan said we should try a two-on-two." Mark obviously was uncertain if Theta's abilities were up to par with his own, not to mention Ichinose's. "What do you think?"

Theta shrugged. Whatever would take the least amount of time was fine with him. Without a pause, Dylan linked arms with him and winked. "I call the babe!" He grinned, while Mark blushed and Ichinose snickered. With an easygoing aura, they made their way to the middle of the field.

The second Mark kicked the ball to Ichinose, the aura on the soccer field changed. Theta, while momentarily disoriented, readjusted himself accordingly. Ichinose was quick and lively, never staying in one place or pausing in motion. However, within seconds Theta slipped between Mark and Ichinose, moving his foot as if to steal the ball. The second Ichinose reacted, Dylan was behind him, stealing the ball.

It went on like that for the next hour and a half, until their movements became slower and sluggish, and their feet dragged over the ground. Eventually, Mark called for a water break, and they moved over to the shade of the trees to talk while they rested.

"What team do you play for?" Ichinose asked Theta curiously.

"Sigma." Theta replied truthfully, letting the sun soak into his skin.

"Yeah?" Dylan asked, but Theta's attention was drawn to the shocked brunette sitting to his right. Mark looked stunned, unbelieving, as he stared through wide eyes. Snapping back to reality, he stood up and walked calmly over to Ichinose, yanking him up forcefully and pulling him away.

"I forgot the P.E teacher wanted us. Sorry, Dylan." He said, before dragging a confused Ichinose behind him.

"Wonder what got into him." Dylan remarked sourly.

"Yeah." Theta muttered, but in all honesty, he didn't wonder at all. "Come on." He said finally. "I have something I need to show you."

* * *

"What do we do now?" Kazemaru asked. While the rest of the team chatted, the bluenette, Goenji, Someoka, Endou, and Kidou were in the back seats speaking quietly. "Should we try and find Sigma or find the others?"

Someoka clenched his fists. "How can you even ask?!" He snarled quietly. "Of course we go after the others."

"No, Kazemaru's right." Kidou amended. "If we went after the others, then we would risk time."

"Risk time?" Endou asked.

"We don't know how long this memory loss will last." Kidou explained. "It could become more difficult to cure over time, in which case we should focus on defeating Sigma and getting the cure as fast as possible. But if we attack Sigma without the others, we'll lose our strength."

The rain, which had begun again, pounded against the bus as they slugged along. Goenji frowned before turning away from the window to face the others. "They found us before." He stated. "They'll find us again. I think we should find the others."

Lightning crackled in the sky, before they turned to Endou.

"It's your decision." Kidou said quietly.

* * *

It was dark. Fubuki struggled to calm his heart as he felt Fuyuka take over.

_Forget them! _His brother growled. _Sigma will do so much worse to you if they find out you remember. They brought me back, after all_. _And Inazuma abandoned you once, now. They're not coming back for you. _Fuyuka smirked. _And since you no longer have any use, this is **my **body now._


	9. Chapter 9

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

* * *

_Ridgeback High, America_

"So," Dylan asked curiously as he tagged along at Theta's side. "Where are we going?"

Theta, deep in thought, didn't reply. Dylan took the chance to fall back behind and admire her from afar. He knew that Mark had heard of Sigma before, because the brunette wouldn't have reacted the way he had otherwise. Now it was just a matter of whether Sigma was good or bad. But he could hardly see how Theta was bad; she seemed, while stoic, to be a good person._  
_

"This way." She finally replied, pointing down behind the Science Building. Her expression was determined, and as they approached their destination, she turned and gripped Dylan's hand tightly. Pulling him close to the brick wall and then leaning against it next to him, they were completely hidden from the outside world.

"You okay?" Dylan asked. Theta was checking hidden pockets for something with an annoyed expression.

"No." She snapped, before muttering, "Where is it...?" Finally, she found what she was looking for. With a relieved ambiance, she pulled out a clear glass tablet and showed it to Dylan. "Just watch." She said. Something about the way she told him to showed Dylan that she was unsure of what she was about to do. In a leap of faith, he grinned reassuringly and nodded.

* * *

_North Tuscany, Italy_

Aprodi walked into the gold-adorned room with a heavy sigh, brushing his hair back and away from his face. Sitting on top of the lush bed and patting the golden velvet comforter, he leaned back on it and felt the tension ebb out of his body. Asetawa wanted him to rejoin Sigma-the team, not jus the organization-and play in a soccer game against his old competition-Aliea Academy. To prepare, Aphrodi would spend the next two weeks training in the nearby area.

He sighed again, wondering how Fidio was doing. Something felt _off_ about everything that had happened in the past three days. He felt a strange tugging in his chest, like he was supposed to be somewhere important, or that he was forgetting something. Asetawa had warned him he would feel like that, but it didn't make it any easier to cope with.

Sitting back up, he left the luxurious bedroom to step out onto the white marble balcony, which overlooked the market. People cheerfully strolled up and down past the various vendors, smiles on their faces. Children kicking soccer balls and throwing baseballs scurried between the adults' legs, their shrieking laughter warming Aphrodi's heart.

His eyes caught on one figure, one blue haired boy, who stood just below the balcony with a confused expression. Aphrodi regarded him with lazy interest, not at all keen on going down to see if there was a problem he could help with. The boy looked right, then left, then right again as if looking for something. Irritated, Aphrodi leaned over the railing and called out to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, and though he didn't speak loudly the boy heard him clearly, looking up with an astonished expression.

"Aphrodi!" The boy beamed, before he became serious. "Have you seen Fidio? Do you know where he is?"

"Fidio?" Aphrodi called back, looking confused. _How did he know his name...? _"Who are you?"

The boy stared up at him blankly, before frowning. "Rococo! Don't you remember me?" Aphrodi glared at him as if to say, 'if I did, I _obviously_ wouldn't have asked'. "Come down so we can talk!" Several passerby's were beginning to stop walking, watching the pair curiously.

_"Is that man trying to propose to her?" _One woman whispered from across the square to her friend, who giggled. _"That's so cute! They must be a couple!"_

Aphrodi felt his patience begin to thin. As if the air carried him up there, he jumped onto the railing. Several people, the two women included, gasped. With a surge of satisfaction, he felt his wings unfurl from his back. Stepping off of the rail, several people shouted in fear, but seconds later Aphrodi stood in front of Rococo in one piece, looking determinedly annoyed. "Fine." He snapped. "What do you want?"

Rococo looked stunned. "I-uh-" Aphrodi smirked victoriously, happy that his entrance was still capable of opening a few mouths. "Fidio. Remember? We all played each other once-you were with Burn and Gazelle and Hera, if I'm remembering correctly."

"Burn?" Aphrodi stared in confusion, before stating flatly, "The idiot loudmouth with the red hair." Rococo stared back with equally wide eyes, shocked that the blond would speak about his friends that way. "No. I only ever played against them."

"What?" Rococo asked, before suddenly grabbing on to Aphrodi's arm. "Do you have amnesia?" He asked seriously. Aphrodi tried to struggle free but it was no use. The bluenette in front of him was determined. "I'll definitely make you remember. Come with me." Without a second thought, he pulled Aphrodi over to a bike, sat him on the handlebars, and sped off with the blond.


	10. Chapter 10

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

* * *

_Rideback High, America_

Dylan felt all the strength leave his muscles. Theta watched him carefully through violet irises, silent and watchful, and frowned slightly.

"...You think this is true?" Dylan finally asked, gathering up the courage to look Theta in the eyes. Her expression mutated to one of blatant shock, and he felt a rush of emotional pain come from her.

"Yes." She replied tersely. "Because it _is _true." Dylan ebbed horror of her beliefs, shooting her a worried glance.

"No." He shook his head. "No. I don't know who told you this but...this isn't right." _This can't be right. _"In America, Zeus isn't a team anymore. Their captain was scouted into Fire Dragon with two guys from Aliea Academy." He took the tablet from Theta's hands and scanned through the articles with furrowed eyebrows. "Who told you that this was true?" He pointed to a picture of Ichinose, who stood over several wounded soccer players. _Field Magician Goes Rogue. 18 Civillian casualties. _It dated January. "I was with him all of January. We were at a soccer camp in Australia for two months."

"But..." She struggled to come up with a proper reply. "No. It's true."

"Who said that?" He asked stubbornly, hands on his hips.

"Asetawa. Our leader and First Captain." She replied, folding her arms over her chest and glaring a little. Dylan felt himself blush and look away. "He's the most admirable person I've ever met. I trust his word over yours."

"I understand," Dylan nodded. "I'm the same way with Mark. But I have proof, just let me show you. I have pictures from the trip, and the train tickets, just let me show them to you." Theta looked ready to say no, so he quickly said, "If you don't believe me even after that, I'll leave it alone."

She looked up in consideration before shrugging, expression falling blank. "Okay."

* * *

"Mark. _Mark. _Stop! This hurts!" Ichinose struggled to pull his arm from Mark's grip. His captain looked over his shoulder with worried eyes, but didn't let go. They passed the science facility and headed straight toward the dorms. "What are you doing?"

"Ichinose," Mark said. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but we have to leave." He pulled the brunette into the dorm building and up the stairs until they reached their dorm. Pushing him inside, Mark looked around for a minute before taking the phone from his nightstand and dialing. "That person down there, Theta, is part of a team set out to destroy soccer."

"What...?" Ichinose looked confused. "Mark, that doesn't make any sense. A soccer team is meant to _play _soccer, not destroy it."

"Doesn't this seem familiar somehow? Like you already knew all of this?" Mark urged fiercely.

Ichinose frowned, sitting complacently as the person on the other end of the phone picked up.

"We're at Ridgeback High in the USA. The dorms. We have bags packed and soccer gear with us." Mark pulled something out of his dresser and put it in his pocket before Ichinose could see what it was. It looked like a piece of paper. "I printed what you asked me to. Please help us." There was distinct fear in the captain's voice as he glanced back down at the brunet. "Thank you. Yes. Okay, bye." He reached under the bed and pulled out two duffles. One was Mark's, a dark red bag with the USA flag printed on the sides. Ichinose recognized his own soccer duffle, filled with his old gear.

"What are we doing with thi-" Mark ignored him, slinging both duffles over his shoulder and pulling his teammate back out the door with his free hand.

"I'll explain everything when this is over." Mark promised. "Just please do what I ask until then."

They ran down the stairs and out of the dorm building when a flash of light appeared in the sky, a brilliant bright blue. Mark shielded Ichinose, fearful of an oncoming attack, but when the light faded a familiar voice shouted, "Ichinose! Mark! Over here!"

Once again, Ichinose was dragged, this time onto a bus. Several familiar faces pulled him in the seats, where Mark was pushed next to him. Seconds later, another flash of light filled the air and suddenly, they weren't in Ridgeback High. They were in a snowy, mountain-like area.

"Endou," A kid with goggles and long hair tied back in a pony tail asked, "Where are we?" Ichinose stared at all of them, trying to figure out who they were. They looked all too familiar, but it was on the edge of his mind.

A boy with brown hair and a headband set down a strange-looking soccer ball and looked between the two Americans. "We're in Eastern Hokkaido." He finally said. "Ichinose...don't you remember us?"

He almost felt peer pressured to say yes, with the entire Raimon soccer team staring at him intently and waiting for an answer. Mark shifted next to him and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"...Yeah, a little." He admitted finally, watching hope light up in Endou's eyes. The kid with the goggles leaned forward.

"Do you remember Japan?" He asked curiously. "What about Aki or Domon?" He turned to let Aki through. She stared at Ichinose through worried, misty eyes and desperately held one of his hands in both of hers.

"...Ichinose?" She asked hesitantly. Ichinose frowned a little.

"Aki!" He exclaimed in shock, before stand up and hugging her tightly. He didn't miss the way Endou bristled in jealousy, and smiled a little knowing that his friend had found someone who could see how amazing she was. "I missed you so much!"

"So you remember, then?" Haruna asked, squeezing in between a few of the soccer players.

Ichinose let go of Aki reluctantly. "Remember...? I honestly don't know what you're talking about. If I could help you I would, but...there's no way I could know you. I've been in America since I was really little because of a car accident I was in. Even if I met you before I left, I would remember you if we'd spoken more than once."

"You mean you don't remember Raimon at all?" Kazemaru asked, amazed that someone who spent so much time improving with them could just forget about it.

"You seem familiar, but...why would I remember Raimon?" Ichinose was confused. "Did I play you once?"

Raimon was shocked. Shocked that someone would forget so quickly the strong bonds that they'd formed. And shocked that their team's biggest asset couldn't even remember their old teammates names. Endou stepped forward, eyes watery.

"Don't you remember? Training in the room that Rika and her team showed us? Don't you remember meeting Domon and Aki?" Endou grabbed Ichinose's hand and held it to his own heart. "Remember the Phoenix? Or helping us save Aliea? Bonds made through hard work and companionship can't be broken this easily!"

Like a dam bursting open, memories began flooding Ichinose's mind. He stumbled away from Endou's grasp, hands to his heart, and he clutched his eyes shut as he struggled to remain standing. Mark stood to help his teammate and close friend, but Goenji reached out a hand to stop him, shaking his head.

Ichinose slid down the back of the bus, trying to sort through everything he could suddenly remember. When he opened his eyes again, he found Aki and a few others standing in front of him. Slowly, he turned to the one he remembered the best. "Kazemaru?"

Kazemaru's blue eyes widened, before a smile broke over his face. He held out a hand and pulled Ichinose to his feet, clapping him on the back with relief. "I was worried for a moment there. Glad to have you back."

"Glad to _be_ back." Ichinose smiled, before wincing a little. A dull throb of pain thudded in the back of his head. Kidou approached him and pulled him away from the small crowd to the left side of the bus, with Endou, Mark, and Kazemaru in his wake.

"Do you remember what happened?" Kidou asked. "Why you lost your memories?"

Ichinose concentrated for a moment, trying to remember what had happened after Raimon on the FFI. "I...we went back home, and someone approached me about soccer."

"Someone you knew?" Mark asked.

Ichinose shrugged. "It must have. He said that soccer was the reason why I got in the car crash, and that without it I would be happier. I told him otherwise, and he got angry. He said that he wanted me to join his team. The name was weird..."

"Sigma?" Kidoua asked darkly. Ichinose nodded.

"How did you know? I said I was already a part of Unicorn, and that I would never turn my back from soccer. He said something about not letting me get in the way and then...blank." He held his head in pain.

"Are you hurt?" Kazemaru asked worriedly, but Ichinose just smiled wanly and shook his head.

"I'm fine." He said. "I just...what did he want? What is Sigma?"

Mark and Ichinose listened attentively to Kidou as he accounted what had happened to them. At some point, the small chatter around them ceased and soon all of Raimon was listening with sorrow to what they'd been through.

"That's terrible!" Ichinose exclaimed when Kidou finished.

"I think I know what they're doing." Mark said after a minute of thought. He folded his arms and sent them all a very serious look. "They're not just isolating you, they're trying to eliminate you as a threat. You're the major competition in all of soccer-you've won against almost every team you've played, tied with the ones you haven't, and went on to win the FFI. Not to mention you did all of this while saving everyone who tried to get in your way and stopping Kageyama, all after starting from zero. Most teams couldn't accomplish that without some serious help from the school or society. But you were on your own from the very beginning, and it's inspiring. If Sigma wants to destroy soccer, they're going to have to get rid of you."

"But that doesn't explain why they targeted former members and associates." Kidou pointed out.

"Because they're using a new strategy." Mark explained. "People have tried several times to defeat soccer by targeting you specifically. But that never worked, because of your bonds as teammates and your ability to play true soccer. If someone somehow managed to erase those bonds for a given amount of time, and convince the people whose loyalty you earned that you were all going to destroy soccer, it would be like you're fighting yourselves. They probably wanted your key assets-Ichinose, Aphrodi, Fubuki, and Hiroto-to join them on a team so that you wouldn't be able to fight back."

"That would explain everything." Ichinose agreed, looking around to see the rest of Raimon nodding with him. "Have you tried to get ahold of the others?"

"We called Aphrodi, but he wasn't answering his phone. We left several messages, but...we're just lucky it's still online. You know what happened with Hiroto-but Suzuno and Midorikawa promised to help us if they could. Suzuno even gave us this." Endou held out the black and blue soccer ball proudly.

"That's the one they used when we were playing against them!" Ichinose exclaimed. Endou nodded with a smile and put it back under his arm.

"We're on the way to getting Fubuki right now." Kidou said. "But there is a chance...if he doesn't remember Raimon, he may still suffer from dissociative identity disorder."

"Then we'd better hurry." Mark said, grabbing and squeezing Ichinose's hand when he noticed the worried look the brunet had.


	11. Chapter 11

**Endou and the rest of Raimon are up against a new enemy. In order to make their team as strong as possible, they travel around the globe to visit old friends. But where have they all gone? Why can't they remember Raimon? Will Raimon's journey end before it can even start?**

* * *

_Eastern Tuscany, Italy_

"Where are we going?" Aphrodi asked, hair whipping around in the wind generated by the speed of the bicycle. They rolled down a cobblestone hill, the ocean just barely visible past the lush trees. He clutched tightly to Rococo, who didn't say anything. Aphrodi rolled his eyes. He had better things to do than stay on this bike and wait for something that would supposedly help him remember this stranger.

"You'll see." Rococo finally replied, and though there was a smile on his face, he was obviously worried. He cycled quickly, eyes trained on the road and mind plagued with Fidio. Where had the young Italian gone? He bit his lip, but shrugged it off. Once he got Aphrodi to remember, surely the other boy would help him in his search.

He pulled over near the bottom of the hill. There was a gentle but steep slope to the left of the bike path, and a lush forest to the right. Rococo paused before clasping Aphrodi's hand in his and leading the blond into the trees. They walked for a couple minutes until they stopped in front of a thick tree. There were several strange curves edged into the bark.

"Does this look familiar to you?" Rococo asked. He still held his companion's hand tightly, as if he were never going to let go.

Aphrodi stared at the tree trunk blankly, spacing out. Thoughts of the mission Asetawa had assigned him on flooded through his mind as he remembered the order. _"In the bakery down the street there is a woman named Abba. She works there. You will approach her and tell her your name, and she will hand you a soccer ball and a slip of paper with a location printed on the back. Go back to your room and hold out the soccer ball. Say the location out loud and it will transport you there. The team waiting for you will be your_ opponents." It was strange, Aphrodi thought, because he'd already been given the order to train for two weeks. He wondered why Asetawa had changed his mind.

"-ello? Aphrodi?" Rococo was looking at him with concern. "Are you okay? You look dizzy."

Aphrodi nodded uncertainly. "Sorry." He replied smoothly. "Why am I here?"

"Because, this is where you, Fidio, and I met up a summer ago." Rococo explained. "This is where we trained for High School together, and where we became friends. Why don't you remember this?"

"Because there's nothing to remember!" Aphrodi yelled back, getting irritated. "I know Fidio, but neither of us know who you are! If you say you know me then prove it!"

"You want me to prove it?! Fine!" Rococo shouted. "You told me everything that happened to you when you were still in Zeus High. You told me about the Drink of the Gods and how much more you had to take than your teammates! You told me about how you would wish you never played soccer when you drank it, but that when you did, you loved it! You told me how Raimon opened your eyes, and how hard recovery was! You told me about giving up Zeus and joining Suzuno and Nagumo! You told me-you told _us_-everything!"

Aphrodi felt as if the world had stopped moving. Short, brisk memories floated back, too jumbled and painful for him to put in sensical order. His legs gave out and he clutched his head as he tried to figure out what was happening. In the background, he heard Rococo make a surprised noise before kneeling next to him.

"Aphrodi? Aphrodi! Are you oka-"

"No!" Aphrodi struggled. The memories had started coming back when Rococo arrived, maybe they would go away when he left. "Leave me alone!" Rococo pinned his wrists above his head and held him down, distraught at the situation.

"Aphrodi, what's happening? What's going on?" He refused to let go of the blond teen, finally resorting to slapping him across the face to snap him out of his fit. Immediately Aphrodi calmed down, staring up at Rococo through blank eyes.

"What am I doing here?" He asked, looking around. His memory of the last few minutes was gone. All he could recall was getting on the bike with the dark-haired soccer player, not going into a forest. "When did we get off your bike?"

Rococo stared back down, shocked beyond belief. _What's happening...? Is someone controlling him directly?_ He frowned and shook his head. _No. Someone's controlling his memories. _He sighed and let go of his friend, pulling them both to their feet. "A couple minutes ago. I showed you what I wanted to; I'll give you a ride back now." _I hope Fidio still has his memories. What happened? Should I call Raimon? They've dealt with stuff like this..._

"It's fine." Aphrodi said, regaining his arrogant attitude. He flipped his hair over his ear and smirked. "I can get back faster on my own." He whispered something under his breath, and wings protruded from his back-the same wings that sometimes appeared when he played soccer.

"What?!" Rococo exclaimed. "You can use your Hissatsu outside of soccer?!" That wasn't just impressive, it was impossible. No one had ever been able to do that before. He tried to stop Aphrodi from flying away, but was too late. Frowning, he took his phone out and dialed quickly.

"Hello," He said. "Is this the Kidou residence? I would like to speak to your son."

_"I'm sorry,"_ A woman replied. _"He's not here at the moment...I believe he went with his soccer club on a trip."_

"I see." Rococo sighed. "Thank you for your time." He hung up, and in the back of his mind, he knew there was only one other person he knew that could help in this situation. But just thinking of the guy made him groan.

"Well," He muttered to himself as he walked back to his bike. "Looks like I'm going to England."

* * *

"This...isn't right." Theta muttered to himself, carding through the various pictures Dylan handed him. The dates matched up with all of the sightings Asetawa'd shone them where Ichinose had attacked civilians. "But..."

"Look," Dylan put a hand on his shoulder with a concerned expression. "I'm not saying that your Captain lied to you, but...he may be misinformed. Are you here to confront Ichinose? Is that why Mark grabbed him and ran off? If this is a misunderstanding we can figure it out."

Theta shook his head, visibly shaken. He dropped the photos as a shiver creeped up his spine. Suddenly, like a hurricane memories filled his mind. Playing soccer, playing Raimon, playing Zeus...being beaten by Aliea. His sister getting in a car crash and falling into a coma. A boy-no, Asetawa confronting him and saying that he could save his sister. But that if he did, he could never see her again. Shaking Asetawa's hand.

He didn't realize he was crying until the tears were already streaking down his surprised face. He stared blankly down at Dylan's dresser, and felt the blond hug him from behind.

"I-I remember. I didn't before," Theta said. "I remember now. Everything."

Dylan obviously had no idea what he was talking about, saying nothing.

"We have to get out of here." Theta realized, turning around and pushing away slightly so he could reach around to Dylan's closet and began packing the first bag he saw, a duffle that had probably been used to store soccer equipment. He heard Dylan protest as he looted through the closet, but that didn't stop him. Once acquiring all of the soccer balls and clothing he thought they would need, he pushed the duffle into Dylan's arms and pulled him to of the room.

Dylan made another noise of protest, but didn't struggle. He had a feeling something he couldn't fully understand was happening, and that the best thing for him to do was go along with it.

Theta turned sharply once they were out of the building, swiftly avoiding several people who wore the same uniform as him. "Sigma, my team," He told Dylan as they snuck around the building, "They want to destroy soccer. Asetawa, our captain, erased our memories so we would help him. You...you woke me up. Thank you."

"Don't worry about it." Dylan replied, still lost as to what was going on. They hid behind Sigma's bus before sneaking onto it. Theta picked his way through the seats and grabbed his bag and his cloak. They were about to leave again, but when they turned around, Asetawa stood in front of them.

"Theta." He remarked. A soccer ball lay innocently in his hand. "I had a feeling you would be the one to betray us."


End file.
